Renee+Erickson

Renee Erickson

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social skills instruction at the secondary level, for students with emotional disabilities and post-secondary preparation. There has been a significant amount of research dedicated to social skills instruction at the elementary school level and the relationship of that instruction to academic achievement. Additionally, there have been various studies dedicated to examining the interpersonal skills of individuals with emotional disabilities, with some assessing the impact on post-secondary school outcomes, including post-secondary employment, involvement with the legal system, and poverty.
 * ****Research Question**

Currently, the goal of social skills instruction for secondary school students remains unclear. Is the belief that with the implementation of social skills instruction, this identified student population will simply learn new social skills that are deemed acceptable by society? Will these students experience greater academic success in the school setting? Will there be an observable increase and improvement in peer relationships, within the school setting? Will poor or undesirable social skills be replaced by more ‘acceptable’ social skills?

In recent times, social skills instruction has become a widely implemented and accepted practice in the school system. Previously, social skills instruction was a responsibility tended to in the home (Maag, 2005). // Participants // // Research Design // // Anticipated Results //
 * What Have We Learned From The Literature?**
 * Many studies support the impression that of social skills instruction is most influential with elementary school aged children. However, this does not negate the recognized need for social skills training at the secondary level, specifically for students with emotional disabilities (January, Casey, and Paulson, 2011).
 * Despite many researchers concluding that there is a minimal impact from social skills instruction for adolescents, Youniss and Smollar (1985) believe a small window of opportunity does exist. They argue that the interventions and needs of the individual change as the demands of school, the community, friendships and social relationships become more complex during this stage of life and that interventionists must be cognizant of this when developing a plan of intervention.
 * If social skills are not taught, not only will academic performance be impacted, but interpersonal relationships in the academic, community and home settings will be negatively impacted. Individuals with undeveloped social skills are more likely to experience feelings of isolation, withdrawal and rejection and to display aggressive behaviors. These feelings and behaviors result in a lack of social competence and can lead to significant difficulties in adulthood (Osofsky and Osofsky, 2001).
 * Social skills instruction goes beyond the teaching of behaviors deemed acceptable to the general public. To provide meaningful social skills instruction, the instruction must be individualized. To change one’s behaviors and replace the maladaptive behaviors with socially acceptable ones, the function of the behavior must be identified. Quite simply, what is the individual trying to get out of the behavior and what socially appropriate replacement behavior can they engage in, to meet that need (Maag and Kemp, 2003)?
 * Further, when teaching replacement behaviors, with the ultimate desire being the development of social skills and social competence, participation and input from the child and adults important in the child’s life (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) is valuable, as it increases the sustainability of the replacement behaviors and reinforces the attainment of social skills and social competence (Maag and Kemp, 2003).
 * Parker and Asher (1987) ascertain that youths who do not possess social competence are at significant risk for a myriad of difficulties including aggression, peer rejection, academic failure, social dissatisfaction, difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships with others and difficulty maintaining employment.
 * Social and interpersonal issues are prominent among the hurdles experienced by adolescents with emotional disabilities when it comes to achieving employment and experiencing vocational success (Curtin and Garcia, 2011).
 * Too often the focus of preparing students with disabilities for life after high school is focused on the development of employable skills, opposed to the development of the social competence necessary for entering the workforce. In comparison to every other disability group, individuals with emotional disabilities have the greatest difficulty maintaining appropriate interpersonal relationships, adversely impacting them in obtaining and maintaining employment (Wagner and Cameto, 2004; Davis and Vander Stoep, 1997).
 * Methods for Investigation**
 * Students with emotional disabilities from six schools in a large suburban high school district in the Midwest, in grades ten, eleven and twelve
 * The schools to be included in this study include five large, traditional public high schools and a public therapeutic day school, for special education students with emotional and behavioral difficulties
 * The students to be included in this study are those with identified emotional disabilities whose educational placement is within the self-contained special education classroom or in the public therapeutic day school
 * To examine the effect of social skills instruction on secondary school students with emotional disabilities, as defined by the acquisition and development of social skills and social competence necessary for post-secondary vocational preparedness and success:
 * 10 weeks:
 * individual student social skill deficits will be identified
 * individualized plans for instruction and intervention will be carefully designed and implemented and vocational training experiences provided
 * students will be provided with opportunities to generalize newly acquired social skills and social competence necessary for post-secondary school vocational success
 * 8 weeks:
 * supported generalization of these skills through community-based experiences. This timeline is the equivalent of one academic semester
 * Subsequent semester (18 weeks):
 * students will participate in a vocational training experience in the community setting, or supported work site experience, emphasizing appropriate work place social skills and social competence
 * To assess student success in the attainment and generalization of social skills and social competence, success indicators will be established
 * to establish and define these indicators, input from students, parents, teachers, therapeutic service providers, vocational coordinators and community-based work site employers
 * this assessment may be in the form of a checklist, survey or interview(an existing assessment may be utilized or one created utilizing the solicited input)
 * It is hypothesized that the individuals included in this study will be adequately prepared for their transition from secondary school to the workplace, as determined by the established indicators, as a result of individualized, specific and targeted social skills instruction, leading to increased social competence


 * Questions and Feedback**
 * Do you think that social skills can be learned in adolescence?
 * As an educator, do you find yourself carrying more and more responsibility when it comes to social skills instruction in the school setting?
 * Do you feel your students are receptive or responsive to this instruction?
 * Upon departure from the secondary school system, do you feel your student possess the social skills and social competence to be successful?
 * Do you believe a lack of social skills and social competence is why adolescents with emotional disabilities ‘fail’ in school and in their personal lives?
 * Other questions or comments?